A video allegedly showed an RCMP officer sexually harassing an Indigenous teen. Then it went missing. Inside allegations of misconduct and cover-up in Canada’s national police force.
On April 20, 2014, a teenaged Indigenous man was shot and killed at a residential school and his body was found in a nearby quarry. In the past few months, the RCMP has faced growing public scrutiny and criticism over its handling of the case.
It’s now been more than three years since a Vancouver-area officer with the RCMP allegedly sexually harassed an Indigenous teen, triggering a public outcry and an investigation into allegations of criminal wrongdoing, according to more than 160 pages of documents obtained by CBC News.
Since then, the force has been accused of using a cover-up in the case. Some police officials are calling the original complaints a sham, and some say it was a tragic mistake.
In his first statement, RCMP Commissioner David Williams, a former police chief in British Columbia, denied any wrongdoing, saying the force simply didn’t have enough evidence to confirm or deny that the officer had been improperly working with the victim.
“There was no allegation of sexual assault, and I am pleased to say, as a result of that determination, I am now prohibited from making public comments on the matter,” the commissioner wrote.
However, he added: “The police force needs the trust of Canadians in order to do its job.”
The document shows Williams also took steps to protect the man’s family members from further embarrassment, writing: “I must make clear that I have never and would never in a million years encourage officers or officers’ families to share information about such relationships.
“They need to know that any personal harm will be dealt with severely by their employer.”
A public inquiry is now to determine what, if any, wrongdoing was committed by the RCMP in the case.
RCMP officials have also been contacted for their response to the documents provided by CBC News.
Williams’ response was based on police procedural rules and a legal doctrine called spoliation. It means investigators can’t make records available to the public
